


A Little Closer

by Lucyndareads



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Silence of the Lambs AU, dark!armin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-03 05:58:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1733636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucyndareads/pseuds/Lucyndareads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Believe me, you don't want Armin Arlert inside your head." </p><p>FBI student Eren Jaeger is assigned his first big job: interviewing famous cannibal and serial killer Armin Arlert. But it soon becomes apparent that his job is far more significant than a mere interview, and as he struggles to prove himself while preventing another serial killer from taking another victim, he finds himself getting more and more comfortable with Armin...</p><p>(Basically, a Silence of the Lambs AU).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo this baby was inspired by the tragic lack of dark!Eremin fics and fanart on tumblr/ao3. Don't get me wrong, folks, I adore my fluffy book-reading, outside world-seeing cuties that kiss each other on the nose and cuddle. But I can't help but long for a darker view of these two... especially since evil Armin would be so fucking terrifying. So after a viewing of Silence of the Lambs, I had to do this! (Quick note that I DO NOT think Armin is canonically evil). 
> 
> This was only supposed to be one chapter, but my dear friend [Gwen](http://armlnarlert.tumblr.com/) all but sold her soul for me to continue. So we'll see. I'm working diligently to finish my Ereri kitty!Levi fic, so my dance card is quite full. If I do choose to continue, the rating and content of this fic will only get darker.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!

 "You asked to see me, sir?" Eren asks, hovering at the threshold between the hallway and Levi's office.

Levi looks up from his computer. "Eren. Good, come in."

"Yes, sir!" Eren says hurriedly, walking towards Levi's desk.

Levi nods absentmindedly. Eren's always thought his boss, the head of the FBI, is somewhat attractive. But Levi's eyes forever have bags under them, and the man looks as if he's seen things that will haunt him until he dies.

"Your instructors tell me that out of all the morons in your class, you're the least idiotic. Great marks, and excellent improvement altogether. In fact, you're fifth in the class. Not bad, brat."

"Thank you," Eren says simply, trying to hold a stupid grin back.

"Anyway, a new job's come up, and I feel as if you have the stomach for this sort of thing. Sit down."

Eren moves to sit in the chair facing Levi's desk, but finds a piece of paper lying on the seat. Picking it up, he discovers it's got a picture on the back side, a picture of the corpse of a young woman, with large pieces of her skin flayed off. He quickly puts the picture face down on the floor, trying to act unperturbed by it.

"We're interviewing a bunch of serial killers for some sort of psychobehavioral profile," Levi explains. "Most of them are happy to talk, can't get them to shut up, in fact. They like to boast. But not all of 'em… You don't shit your pants out of fear easily, do you, Eren?"

"No, sir," Eren says firmly.

"Good," grunts Levi, "Because the one we want to interview the most absolutely refuses to talk to us. I want you to give it a try; go visit him in the asylum."

"Who is he?" asks Eren.

"The psychiatrist, Dr. Armin Arlert," Levi says, watching Eren closely.

Eren pauses, too. "Arlert. The cannibal…" he says.

Of course he's heard of Dr. Armin Arlert. Who hasn't? The crimes he's committed are so well known that young children have been known to have nightmares about him.

"Yeah. I don't expect him to talk to you, but I have to fuckin' try something. Arlert was unparalleled as a psychiatrist; he knows all the workings of the criminal mind. And if he won't say squat, that's fine. I'm good with just simple reporting. How's he look, how's his cell look, what's he reading, blah blah blah. And I want your report in by 0800 Wednesday."

Eren nods, but he's a bit suspicious. All Levi is proposing is some sort of interview, but he seems even more harried than usual. "Excuse me, sir, what's the rush? Arlert's been in prison for years…" Then an idea pops into his head. "Is this somehow about Buffalo Bill?"

Buffalo Bill, the latest serial killer to be rocking the nation.

"Don't ask nosy questions, brat," says Levi. "Are you taking the job, or not?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" Eren says, reaching out to grab Arlert's folder. But before he can, Levi jerks it back, stands up, and gives him one of his patented stares, the intensity almost painful.

"Eren, hold on a fuckin' minute. I need your full attention, here. Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't fuck around. Take extreme caution when dealing with Armin Arlert. When you get to the asylum, Dr. Smith will go over the procedures. Do  _not_  ignore any of them, for  _any_  reason. And don't tell him anything personal, don't let him get close to you. Believe me, you don't want Armin Arlert inside your head…" Levi breaks off and shakes his head slightly before continuing. "Just do your job, and never forget what he is…"

 

* * *

  

The first thing that crosses Eren's mind when he sees Arlert is that smarmy fucker Erwin Smith must have made a mistake and directed him to the wrong cell. Because this can't be… this isn't at all what he expected.

Dr. Armin Arlert is a slender, attractive, and well-groomed young man. His long silky blonde hair is tied in a half-ponytail, his prison-issued jumpsuit looks freshly pressed. He's standing close to the glass of the cell, an open book in his hands, but he's abandoned it in favour of watching Eren walk towards the glass. Eren is no more than five feet away from an infamous serial killer and he can't find any reason to be frightened at all.

Then the he speaks.

"Good morning," Dr. Arlert says softly as he beams at him, plump pink lips opening to reveal a glimpse of straight white teeth. He speaks in an accent that's not quite placable.

"Morning," Eren replies, attempting to conceal his apprehension with politeness. Then, remembering he's not here to be polite, Eren continues on, his tone a bit more businesslike. "Dr. Arlert, my name is Eren Jaeger. I'm here to talk to you, is that alright?"

Dr. Arlert arches an eyebrow beautifully. "Let me guess," he says, "Levi sent you, didn't he."

"Yeah, he did," Eren says, somewhat surprised. He wants to ask how Dr. Arlert knew, but he figures that's a bad idea.

Dr. Arlert nods slightly. "May I see your credentials?" he asks.

Eren wants to refuse. Instead he says, "Sure." He reaches into his pocket to pull the ID out, hoping that the doctor doesn't notice that he's just a student.

He holds the badge out, but Dr. Arlert simply shakes his head. "Oh, won't you bring that a little closer?" he asks innocently.

Eren hesitates. Dr. Arlert regards him, a twinkle in his eye, and Eren caves. He walks a step closer, holding out the badge a little farther away from his body.

"Closer…" says Dr. Arlert in a singsong voice. Eren grits his teeth and takes another step towards the cell, unable to suppress an exasperated huff of breath.

Dr. Arlert's smile twists a little, into somewhat of a smirk. "Come now, Eren," he purrs, "Are you afraid of me?"

His voice is like melted chocolate, and Eren suppresses a shiver.

"Dr. Arlert, I really don't have time for games," he says as he steps closer and holds the license less than an inch from the glass wall.

"What a shame," Arlert says, and his tone sounds truly regretful, as if he actually is disappointed that Eren isn't here to play with him. "I love games."

"Do you want to look at my identification or not?"

"You FBI people are no fun," whines Dr. Arlert, but his eyes rove over the ID, which shakes only slightly in Eren's grip. Then he glances up at Eren. "This expires in a week," he says. "You're not a true FBI agent, are you?"

Eren inwardly curses. "I'm still a student at the academy." he says simply.

Dr. Arlert's eyebrows raise. "Levi sent a _student_ to _me_?"

"I'm perfectly qualified to interview you," Eren blurts indignantly, "And I'm also here to learn, so… yeah, student."

Immediately he regrets the outburst. Dr. Arlert smiles again, this time more sharklike than angelic. "Then I'll try and teach you some useful things, _Eren_." He gestures to the chair facing his cell. "Sit, please. Let's talk."

Eren nods and sits, clears his throat. "Ok, so, Dr. Arlert-"

"Please," Dr. Arlert interrupts, twirling a strand of hair around a finger, "Call me by my first name. I think we're close enough for that, don't you, Eren?"

Eren swallows. "Ok," he says.

"Would you mind terribly saying it for me? I want to hear it." It's an odd request, but Dr. Ar- Armin makes it sound so innocent.

"Armin," Eren says. The name feels heavy on his tongue, but oddly pleasant, like a rich clotted cream.

Armin nods, looking incredibly pleased. "That's it. Good job, Eren. I think we're going to get along quite nicely, don't you?"

All Eren can do is blink and nod in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scoobity boop bop i don't usually write dark fics and it shows hahaha
> 
> edit: this fic now has [fanart](http://thiscatdraws.tumblr.com/post/87692179282/believe-me-you-dont-want-armin-arlert-inside) done by the amazing [Gwen](http://armlnarlert.tumblr.com/) ugh gotta love her


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Armin chat a bit more. Armin gets personal, Eren gets messy, and Mikasa disapproves of this entire situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daaaamn the response i got from ya'll was crazy! i didn't think anyone else would care about my lil fic. so, since everyone was so eager for chapter 2, here you are! i may have blatantly lifted several quotes from the real movie, but as the story goes on, it'll get more distant from the movie.
> 
> (also i put this at the end of the previous chapter, but this fic now has [fanart](http://thiscatdraws.tumblr.com/post/87692179282/believe-me-you-dont-want-armin-arlert-inside) done by the amazing [Gwen](http://armlnarlert.tumblr.com/) !!!! if you don't love her you have bad taste tbh

Looking up at the rest of Armin's cell, Eren is struck by the sight of several watercolor paintings. "Did you paint these?" he asks.

Armin nods. "Just some things I miss about my time outside of prison. Glaciers, volcanoes, deserts… and of course the ocean. How I miss the ocean." He sighs, his blue eyes filled with melancholy.

"It must be tough living inside these walls, huh," Eren says thoughtfully.

"You have no idea," complains Armin. "Savor every moment of freedom you have, Eren."

"I… ok," says Eren. Then he gets back to business. "Anyway, um, I was wondering if you'd fill out this questionnaire-"

"Oh, gosh," says Armin, shaking his head slowly. "You FBI people are so harried. No time to have a nice conversation, just work work work. Then again, I suppose it makes sense. Got a lot on your plate, I assume, what with that new one, Buffalo Bill. What a psychopath. Speaking of which, would you mind telling me why he's called Buffalo Bill? The newspapers I've read are woefully lacking in information."

What harm is there in revealing that particular bit of information? "It's a bad joke, started by the officer who was first put on the case," Eren explains with a scowl. "They joked that he liked to skin his humps."

"You don't seem amused by the joke," Armin observes.

"There's nothing funny about a killer."

"Mmm. Why do you think he removes the skin, Eren?" Armin asks. "Give me your best analysis."

Eren doesn't consider himself to be the smartest student in the academy, but this guy already is making him feel like a little kid, and he's trying not to get angry about it. "It's not exactly difficult," he says, "Most serial killers like to keep something from their victims, as a trophy."

"I didn't."

"No, you ate yours," Eren says.

There's a slight pause.

"I did say 'most', not all," he continues.

"That you did," Armin concedes. "Ok, Eren. Send that questionnaire in."

Eren quickly takes the piece of paper and sends it through the slot usually reserved for meals, as Dr. Smith told him to.

With a delicate manicured hand, Armin opens the slot on his end and grabs the paper. He only looks at it for a moment before letting out a burst of bubbly laughter.

"Oh, Eren," he says, shaking his head, "Eren, Eren, Eren. Did you really think you could pick my brain with this?"

"No, I just-" Eren begins, but Armin is on a roll now.

"You are _so_  determined, aren't you, darling? You know what you look like to me, with your freshly pressed suit and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A cute, hustling rube with little taste. You're a big boy, clearly you drank your milk, but you grew up with not a penny to spare, didn't you, Eren? Living in a cheap cramped apartment in the city. You loved your momma a lot, but didn't get much time with her, and daddy never cared for you much, did he? The other children thought you were scary, and all you could think about was how unfair live is, how much you wanted to right those wrongs dealt to you and the people closest to you. You dreamt of getting out. Getting anywhere. Getting all the way to the F… B… I." His monologue finished, Armin sits back in his seat and licks his lips.

Eren feels himself shaking slightly, and his eyes feel dangerously hot. He was warned Armin might do this, the man is an amazing psychoanalyst after all, but he didn't realise just how good he is. If he cries, he'll never forgive himself. "You're smart, and you see a lot," he says, "I get that. But it seems like you're too chicken to analyze yourself. What's wrong? Are you afraid to?"

"Eren, please," Armin says condescendingly. "A census taker once tried to test me. And you know what I did?" When Eren doesn't respond, he continues. "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a wonderful Chianti."

"Wow," snaps Eren. He's had enough of this. "Even _you_ can't face who you are. But you know what? I don't blame you in the slightest."

Armin chuckles. "You don't have any sympathy for people like me, do you, Eren?"

"Hell no," says Eren immediately. "You… you're not people. Just animals in human form."

"Oh?" Armin tilts his head slightly. "That's hurtful, darling, it really is."

Eren shrugs. "I don't care about your feelings. And-"

But before he can continue, the man in the cell nearest to them yells, "Hey! Hey, Mister FBI! I've got a story for you. C'mon over here!"

Against his better judgement, Eren stands and walks toward the neighboring cell, only to feel something wet and sticky hit his cheek. Looking down, he sees some of it got on his suit, too, and it's white and… oh, dear lord. It's cum.

"There's more for you if you're interested," cackles the man, and the rest of the cellblock goes nuts. Some of the prisoners are laughing, some are scolding the man. The sudden noise, combined with the disgusting acts of the man, are incredibly disorienting.

Over the ruckus, Armin yells, "Eren? Eren! Come back here."

Not knowing what to do, and feeling that the situation has gotten wildly out of his control, Eren walks back to Armin, coming closer to the cell glass than before. "What?" he says.

"That was wildly discourteous," Armin says, fury present in his voice. "I apologize for Dazz, he truly is one of those animals in human form you were referring to. If there's one thing I cannot tolerate, it's rudeness."

"Um… ok," Eren says, "But if you hate rudeness, why are you refusing to help me?"

Armin rolls his eyes. "I'm not doing that boring old survey. However! I will do something that will make you happy…"

"Yeah? What's that?" asks Eren.

"I'll help you in your quest for justice. To find yourself. You're going to want to seek out an old patient of mine, a Miss Mofet. That's M-O-F-E-T, Mofet."

"Mofet," Eren repeats.

"Yes," Armin says. "Now, I believe that's all the time I'm willing to spend on you today. You'd better hurry up and leave before Dazz is ready for round two."

And Eren does, doing his damnedest not to run out of the cell block.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next day, Mikasa drags him to the FBI library. She claims she wants him there to study, but instead has spent the time grilling him about his trip to visit Armin Arlert.

After he finishes telling her what happened, she shakes her head. "That was really dangerous, Eren."

"No kidding," Eren says, "But I'm going to be an FBI agent, same as you. I can handle it."

"I know you can, but… Armin Arlert? That fucking shrimp is a total asshole for giving you such a tough first job." Where Eren feels a sense of hero worship for Levi, Mikasa only feels disdain.

"He respects me, Mikasa. I told him everything that happened and he said I did nothing wrong, even if he refused to shake my hand before I showered and changed clothes. And-" Eren's cut off by the sound of the phone ringing.

Mikasa grabs it. "Hello?" she says, then scowls. "Levi, sir. What- ok. He's right next to me." She holds the phone out to Eren.

Eren takes it. "Sir?" he says.

"Eren. Dazz is dead."

It takes him a second to remember who Dazz is. "Dead? How?"

"It's unclear, but the orderly heard Arlert muttering to Dazz, who then started crying. At bedcheck they found him. He had swallowed his own tongue."

"What?!?" yelps Eren, the phone tightening in his grip. "He did it because I-"

"Don't beat yourself up about it, brat. Arlert did it to amuse himself, nothing to do with you. By the way, did you follow up on 'Mofet'?"

Eren sighs, still feeling shitty even after Levi's reassuring words. "Yeah. Unfortunately, Arm- Arlert destroyed or tampered with most of his patient's files before arrest, so I found no evidence of Mofet. But then I remembered that he said something about 'finding yourself', and I figured that was too clichéd to be taken literally. So I searched up 'Yourself' in the phonebook, in regards to Baltimore, his hometown. And there's a Yourself Storage Facility in downtown Baltimore."

"Nice work," Levi says, and Eren feels a bit better.

"Thank you, sir. I'm heading out there tomorrow."

"Ok, give me every detail of what you find when you're done."

"Will do," Eren says.

Then he hears the dial tone. Levi was never one for pleasant goodbyes.

"Be careful," says Mikasa, who's been watching Eren like a hawk while he's been on the phone.

Eren rolls his eyes. "Mikasa, honestly. I'll be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (hahaha he will not be fine)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Miss Mofet", otherwise known as Armin being a nerdy little shit. He proposes a deal, inquires about workplace relationships, and gives a compliment, none of which are smoothly received by Eren. Afterwards, Eren receives a special assignment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a couple more shingekis are randomly thrown in!!!

Eren doesn't find anything having to do with a 'Ms. Mofet' in the storehouse. Instead he gets a good-for-nothing storehouse manager who makes him go in all by himself, a fresh cut on his hand from forcing the door open, and a nasty shock when he pulls the cloth off of a mannequin's head, only to find that the plastic head has been replaced with an actual head, pickled in a jar.

Forced to reassess the situation, he carefully recalls his conversation with Armin. It is then that he realizes the true meaning of what Armin hurriedly told him at the end of their discussion.

He heads straight from there to Armin, only stopping briefly to disinfect his hand. It's pouring outside, and by the time he gets to the prison he's absolutely soaked.

The cell block is completely silent, and Armin seems a bit subdued, standing and regarding Eren in silence.

"It was an anagram, wasn't it?" Eren says. "'Hester Mofet', an anagram for 'The rest of me.' Ms. Mofet. Miss the rest of me. You rented that garage."

Instantly, the food slot opens on Eren's side. Cautiously, he slides his hand in to grab a clean white towel.

"...Thank you," he says, wiping his hair dry. It's definitely a bad idea to exchange pleasantries with criminals. But before she died, his mother quite effectively hammered politeness into his stubborn young head.

"Eren, darling, be careful," Armin says in reply, frowning at Eren's hand. "Your bleeding has barely stopped."

Eren frowns. "How did..." Then he stops himself. He's not going to bother asking. "It's fine. I only got it because I had to break open the door to your freaking warehouse."

Armin chuckles. Eren shivers a little, probably because of how cold it is. "Yes... my apologies. I was only testing to see if you were smart enough to be worth my while. Apparently, you are. Good job, Eren."

"Whose head is in that bottle?" Eren asks.

"You should ask me about Buffalo Bill," Armin replies.

"Why would I do that?" Eren says, trying to contain his frustration. "Do you have information about him that I would find useful?"

"Well... I might."

"Ok, then spill."

"I think I'd need to look at his case file first. You could get that for me, right?" Armin says.

Eren sighs. "Maybe we should keep talking about 'Miss Mofet'. You must have had some reason for wanting me to find him."

"If you must know," Armin says, "His real name was Nac Tius. And I did not kill him."

Eren laughs humorlessly. "And I'm supposed to believe that."

"You should," says Armin, looking a bit hurt. "He had missed a few appointments, so I decided to investigate his whereabouts. And I found him, very much as you found him."

Maybe it's crazy, but he might just actually believe Armin. Something about the look in Armin's eyes makes the story real to him. "So let's say I believe you," he says. "But if you didn't kill him, who did?"

Armin shrugs. "I haven't the foggiest idea," he says. "But it was the best thing for him, really it was. He was wasting money on therapy that wasn't working for him at all."

"And you found only his head?" Eren asks.

Armin nods. "The head and nothing else."

"Do you think the killer took the rest of the body as a trophy, or for some other purpose?"

"Who can say," Armin replies enigmatically. He pauses for a second, twirling a lock of his hair and looking as if he's in deep thought. Then he asks, "How did you feel when you saw the head, Eren?"

Eren thinks for a second. "Scared, for a moment," he admits.

"And then?" encourages Armin.

"I was angry."

"And after that?"

"Exhilarated." Eren's answer surprises himself. He hears Armin give a little hum of approval.

Then out of the blue Armin says, "Levi seems to have taken you under his wing a bit, hasn't he?"

"He's certainly helped me out, yes," Eren says, a bit confused at the change in subject.

"Apparently he likes you, which is rare for a man like him," Armin continues. "And you like him, too."

"I suppose so," Eren says.

"Do you think Levi might have another reason besides innocent mentoring to help you?"

Eren frowns. "Like what?"

"Well... what if Levi wants you, sexually?"

"Jesus _christ_ ," Eren blurts. "The man is at least twenty years older than me."

"True," Armin says with a shrug. "But that doesn't make it impossible. Perhaps he thinks about it. During those little briefings he gives you in his office. Maybe for a moment, just a few seconds, he imagines bending you over the desk. Fucking you. Or," he continues, his voice lowering to a lewd growl,  "Perhaps he imagines getting fucked _by_ you."

Eren's blushing like mad, even though he knows Armin's just trying to rile him up. "Me and _Levi_? Who'd ever think we would make a good couple? That is... that's so ridiculous."

"I suppose so." Now Armin's leering at him. "Come to think of it, I'm reminding myself of Dazz right now. Good thing he's not around anymore, right?"

Eren winces. "Armin, you didn't have to-"

"See anything different about my little home?" Armin asks, gesturing behind him.

Eren looks, but all he can see is a blank wall. A blank wall... "Where did your paintings go?" he asks.

"It's punishment," Armin explains, "For what happened to Dazz. For what I did for _you_. Dr. Smith quite enjoys his little torments."

"What are you trying to say about Buffalo Bill, Doct- Armin?" Eren says impatiently.

"Eren, I have been in this tiny room for four years now," Armin says, his blue eyes wide with sorrow. "And I know I will never, ever leave it while I'm alive. I understand I must be incarcerated for the things I've done, but I want a window, at least. A window that lets the sun in, maybe overlooking a tree, or even water. And I want to be in an institution far, far away from Dr. Smith."

"I understand, but I'm afraid I have no power to get you any of that," Eren says.

"Eren," Armin says wearily. "I'm offering you a complete psychological profile of Buffalo Bill simply based on case evidence. In other words, I'm offering to help you catch him."

Eren's eyes narrow. "You know who he is already, don't you, Armin? The same person who murdered your old patient."

Armin giggles. "Patience, my darling, patience. I've been patient for all these years, I think you and Levi can wait a bit longer."

"No, we really can't!" Eren says angrily.

"Oh, right," says Armin, stepping back towards his cot to lie down. "I completely forgot! I suppose our newest killer must be searching for their next victim as we speak..."

"Exactly," says Eren. "So can you hurry up and tell me whatever you know?"

Armin hums as he makes himself comfortable on the cot. "I've told you my terms, Eren," he says. "I'm not saying a word more on the subject until you can give me what I want."

"Fine," snaps Eren. Tired of the conversation, he turns to leave. Halfway back to the exit, he hears Armin calling his name. "What?" he says, walking back.

"I just wanted to let you know that you look absolutely ravishing in that tight wet shirt," Armin tells him with innocent eyes and a sweet smile.

Immediately, Eren feels his ears grow hot. "Um... th-thanks, I... yeah..." he stutters, walking backward towards the exit and tripping over his own feet. An inmate snickers as he heads through the cellblock door.

 

* * *

 

"Jaeger!" Leonhardt shouts. "Get out of the ring, you're needed. Kirschtein, you're replacing Jaeger."

It's the next day, and Eren's halfway through a hand-to-hand combat course. As he exits the ring, he lightly whacks the top of Jean's head. "Good luck following the master, horseface," he says.

"Shut the fuck up, Jaeger. I'll kick your record's ass!" Jean shoots back.

Eren rolls his eyes. Jean's comebacks are almost as bad as his hand-to-hand.

"What's up, coach?" he says to Leonhardt with a grin. Ever since day one when she knocked his ass down on the mat so hard that he saw stars, they've gotten along pretty well.

"Just got word from Levi," Leonhardt says, returning his grin with a small smile. "He says saddle up, pack up your field gear. You're movin' out, and you're goin' with him."

"Where?" Eren asks curiously.

"Apparently they found a woman's body down in West Virginia. Been in the water about a week. I'm guessing Levi's thinking it's Buffalo Bill. But don't take my word for it," she adds coyly, "Move your lazy ass."

"Thanks," Eren says with a snort.

Admittedly, a corpse in the water is depressing, and another victim of a serial killer is even worse. But a field trip with the head of the FBI... Eren can't stop smiling as he heads to Levi's office.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (sorry about the ereri comments, i couldn't resist. as you can clearly see from my other fics, i have nooo actual problems with ereri)
> 
> reminder that my tumblr is erenjaegrrr and that I track "fic: a little closer"!!! (◡‿◡✿)


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